Memories and milestones: Unbeaten 1968 New Canaan football team to be honored at Friday’s game

The 1968 New Canaan Rams, who went undefeated, are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and will be honored at halftime of Friday’s football game between New Canaan and Danbury at Dunning Field.

It’s difficult to believe that in the long and storied history of New Canaan Rams football there have only been three undefeated teams. And for players, coaches and fans who can remember them it’s even more difficult to believe that two of those undefeated seasons — 1968 and 1969 — happened 50 years ago in the midst of what was a state record 33-game winning streak.

On Friday night as the Rams take on Danbury in their football home opener, nearly 30 stars of yesteryear will descend upon Dunning Field as the players who were part of the streak that spanned four seasons, from 1967 to 1970, will be honored at halftime.

Head coach Joe Sikorski, the architect of the Rams’ dynasty which started in the late 1960s and carried into the 1970s.

One key member of the ’67 and ’68 teams was star running back Len Paglialunga, now president of the New Canaan Old Timers Association. Paglialunga had a conversation with former teammate Ben Harvey, who mentioned that the streak was in the midst of a golden anniversary.

“I was thinking it was a pretty good milestone and accomplishment,” Paglialunga said. “I ran it by the Old Timers committee and they were wholeheartedly in favor of it. So we went with it.”

Paglialunga connected with former New Canaan stars of that era, Bob Kircher and Brian Sikorski, and began a weeks-long process of reaching out and reconnecting with former teammates for a celebratory reunion.

“With the little time that we had together we did a pretty good job,” Paglialunga said. “We got about 85 percent of the people that were involved in the streak.”

It all started for the Rams with a successful 1967 season in which New Canaan went 7-2 and won its last four games of the season. Led by Paglialunga and legendary quarterback Peil Pennington — who many consider to be the greatest athlete in NCHS history — New Canaan also defeated archrival Darien for the first time in 20 years.

“I knew when we started this thing, the driving force was Lenny and Peil,” Kircher, only a sophomore on the 1967 team, said. “In the seventh game against Ludlowe I go in and I can see to this day Bob Saunders, Tony Suffredini, Rocco DiCriscenzo, Peil Pennington, Bob Pennington, Lenny Paglialunga, Greg Esty, Harry Hughes. They’re looking at me like you don’t perform well you’re out of here. In my lifetime, I never saw such raw desire. It emanated from Peil and Lenny. They instilled it and infused it into these guys. Inside the huddle with them it was intense and we would just go out and do it.”

Bob Lynch, an assistant coach with the Rams of the late 1960s, took over as head coach in 1970.

“I think we got to a point in our maturation process that losing was unacceptable,” Paglialunga said. “We had a mindset that we have to improve to a point where don’t lose and it was a turning point for everyone on the team. We had some tough games along the way, but when we took the field we were ready.”

Under the direction of head coach Joe Sikorski and assistant coach Bob Lynch, the Rams reached unprecedented heights in 1968 with a 10-0 season — the first undefeated campaign in the 40-year school history.

With a quick strike offense coupled with a punishing defense, the Rams outscored opponents 411-88 that year on their way to their first FCIAC championship as well as the first of four consecutive state crowns.

In 1969, new stars like running back Lem James, quarterback Rick Horton and wide receiver Pete Demmerle emerged and continued the Rams domination. New Canaan went 10-0 for the second straight year, outscoring the opposition 446-91 and again winning conference and state titles.

“We had great offenses back then, but we also had great defenses,” Sikorski, a quarterback on the 1970 squad and son of the legendary coach, said. “To give up 80 or 90 points for both of those seasons was incredible because we only played nine games then the tenth game was the FCIAC championship. Guys like Tony Suffredini, Tom Eberhart, Jeff Caldwell — they were one-in-a-million guys. They weren’t as big as the kids are now, but man could they hit.”

Sikorski stepped down as head coach of New Canaan after the ’69 season and handed the reins to Lynch. The Rams didn’t skip a beat, winning their first nine contests of 1970 before falling 47-14 to a tough Stamford team in the FCIAC championship, coached by Jack Hagan.

Although the streak ended, the Rams went on to win the state title in ’70 and ’71 and also captured the FCIAC title in ’71.

Almost half a century later as old teammates, coaches and friends reconnect for Friday’s reunion common threads are evident. The games, the wins and memories still stick with the players as if they happened yesterday. But more significant are the life lessons learned from the two great mentors and architects of that dynasty.

“The effect of Sikorski and Lynch on all these players was that they brought out the best in all of these guys,” Kircher said. “That’s what Lou Marinelli’s been doing — the development of character through the experience of football. If you have that kind of effect, it’s a life-long effect. It affects your family, your career, everything. I’m still proud of what we did on the field, but it’s the effect on your character and how you believe in yourself that’s more important.”